Continuous twister pipe cleaner machine

ABSTRACT

In a machine for making pipe cleaners having a twisting mechanism for rotating and twisting wires about each other to lock short cotton strands or fibrils therebetween, the twisting mechanism has a rotatably mounted frame which extends through a generally cylindrical stationary worm gear having an internal spiral thread configuration; the frame rotatably mounts a pair of generally circular gripping members positioned in vertically spaced relation with respect to each other having cooperating peripheral walls forming a purchase therebetween which is adapted to engage the wires and the fibrils; spur gears rotatably mounted in the frame and drivingly connected to the gripping members are adapted to engage the internal thread configuration of the stationary worm gear to rotate the gripping members during rotation of the frame whereby the wires and fibrils are drawn through the frame and twisted about each other to lock the fibrils therebetween.

United States Patent [451 July25, 1972 De Voe [54] CONTINUOUS TWISTER PIPE CLEANER MACHINE [72] Inventor: John M. De Voe, Nashville, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: United States Tobacco Company, Nashville, Tenn.

[22] Filed: July 13, 1970 [21] Appl.N0.: 54,482

[52] U.S.Cl ..57/77.42,57/77.45 [51] Int. Cl. 1 ..D0lh 7/92 [58] Fieldot'Search ..57/77.3-77.45, 57/5l-5l.6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,290 4/1869 Chabot ..57/51.4 940,231 11/1909 Blessing ..57/77.42X 128,418 6/1872 Nutting ..57/51.4 682,245 9/1901 Dreman..... ...57/77.45X 2,608,817 9/1952 Reinicke ..57/51.4X 2,796,725 6/1957 Urrutia ..57/51.4 2,900,782 8/1959 Bobkowicz ..57/77.42X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner.lohn Petrakes Attorney-Curtis, Morris & Safford In a machine for making pipe cleaners having a twisting mechanism for rotating and twisting wires about each other to lock short cotton strands or fibrils therebetween, the twisting mechanism has a rotatably mounted frame which extends through a generally cylindrical stationary worm gear having an internal spiral thread configuration; the frame rotatably mounts a pair of generally circular gripping members positioned in vertically spaced relation with respect to each other having cooperating peripheral walls forming a purchase therebetween which is adapted to engage the wires and the fibrils; spur gears rotatably mounted in the frame and drivingly connected to the gripping members are adapted to engage the internal thread configuration of the stationary worm gear to rotate the gripping members during rotation of the frame whereby the wires and fibrils are drawn through the frame and twisted about each other to lock the fibrils therebetween.

ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented July 25, 1972 FIG. 2

Ill,

I NVENTOR. M DEVOE FIG. 3

CONTINUOUS TWISTER PIPE CLEANER MACHINE The invention relates to a device for making pipe cleaners, and more particularly to apparatus for twisting a pair of wires about short cotton strands or fibrils.

Apparatus has previously been proposed in which pairs of adjacently arranged wires are twisted about each other to lock short cotton strands therebetween to form pipe cleaners. In such apparatus the strands or fibrils are supported in a manner to provide a reaction force against a twisting force which is generally applied by a rotating chuck in which the free ends of the wires are gripped. Typically, the chuck is mounted on a reciprocating carriage which is adapted to be moved away from the reaction force applying mechanism. The chuck pulls the wires with the bristles held therebetween and either during or at the end of the reciprocating stroke, the chuck is rotated to impart a twist to the wires. Upon completion of the operating stroke, the twisted element is cut by a knife and the chuck returned to its initial position adjacent the reaction force applying mechanism wherein the operation is repeated. While generally satisfactory pipe cleaners have been produced by machines of this character, the process of making the pipe cleaners is not continuous and requires an individual operator to supervise each machine. The repeated return of the chuck is time consuming and results in a decrease in the efficiency of the process and, moreover, these machines require long runways for the reciprocating chuck, some of which extend in the order of 65 feet, thus necessitating excessive factory space.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for continuously twisting wires about short cotton strands. It is a further object of the present invention to produce pipe cleaners in a continuous process. A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine for making pipe cleaners which is compact, economical and simple in construction.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention a machine for twisting a pair of adjacently arranged wires about short cotton strands or fibrils includes a rotatably mounted frame member which extends longitudinally through a stationary cylindrical worm gear having an internal spiral thread configuration. The frame is provided with inlet and outlet openings at the longitudinally opposed sides thereof, and rotatably mounts a pair of spur gears in offset parallel relation on axes which extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame. The spur gears are drivingly connected to a pair of generally circular gripping members which are positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other and have peripheral walls which form a purchase therebetween. The spur gears are adapted to oppositely engage the inner thread configuration of the worm gear and are thereby rotated during rotation of the frame to correspondingly rotate the gripping members which draw the wires and fibrils through the purchase from the inlet opening of the frame, whereby the wires are twisted, by the rotation of the frame, about each other with the fibrils locked therebetween and thence discharged through the outlet open- The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a pipe cleaner twisting mechanism in which the present invention is employed;

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the device illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an end view, partly in section, taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a pipe cleaner twisting mechanism of the type in which the present invention may be employed generally comprises a rectangular frame 12 in which a pipe cleaner gripping and advancing mechanism 14 is rotatably mounted for drawing an adjacent pair of wires I6, having short cotton strands or fibrils 18 therebetween, through frame 12.

Frame 12 is rotatably mounted in a stationary frame (not shown) by a pair of hollow shaft members 20 and 22, fixed to frame 12 at each end thereof. Shafts 20 and 22 are each formed with two sections 24 and 26 of different outside diameters and smaller diameter sections 24 support frame 12 by means of support bearings 28 positioned at the ends thereof. Thrust bearings 30 are provided on shaft sections 24 between bearings 28 and shoulder portion 32 formed at the junction of shaft sections 24 and 26 to prevent longitudinal movement of frame 12 within its supporting structure. As more fully explained hereinafter, frame 12 is rotated during operation of the device by a motor driven belt (not shown) which may pass around either of the enlarged shaft sections 26. Alternatively, it is foreseen that a conventional V-pulley may be provided on either of shafts 20 and 22 for rotation of the frame in a conventional manner.

Pipe cleaner elements 16 and 18 are introduced through axial bore 36 in shaft 22 and are drawn through inlet opening 38 in end 40 of frame 12 by advancing and gripping mechanism 14. The rotational movement of frame 12 twists wires 16 about themselves and fibrils 18 as they are moved through the frame by mechanism 14 and the completed pipe cleaner strand 50 is thence directed from mechanism 14 through opening 42 in end wall 44 of frame 12 and bore 46 of shaft 20.

Gripping mechanism 14 includes a pair of spur gears 52 and 54 respectively which are rotatably mounted in offset relationship on diagonally related frame members 56 and 58 of frame 12, which extend longitudinally between end members 40 and 44 thereof. Gears 52 and 54 are mounted by bearing assemblies (not shown) upon shafts 60 and 62 respectively which are fixed in frame members 56 and 58 in vertically spaced relation and along axes which are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame and to the direction of travel of the pipe cleaner elements. Shaft retainers 64 and 66 are provided at the outer ends of shafts 60 and 62 in a conventional manner to retain the shafts on their respective frame members. The inner ends of shafts 60 and 62 rotatably mount drive discs 68 and 70 respectively, which are fixed to spur gears 52 and 54- for rotation therewith. Discs 68 and 70 are each provided with an annular groove 72 having a knurled surface which forms a purchase 74 between, the discs by which the pipe cleaner elements 16 and l8 are engaged.

A generally cylindrical worm gear shell 80, only a portion of which is seen in FIG. 1, is provided abut frame 12 and has an inner spiral thread configuration 82 defining teeth 84 which are adapted to engage the corresponding radial teeth 86 on spur gears 52 and 54. Shell is mounted in a fixed position within a stationary frame (not shown) so that frame I2 may be rotated with respect to it and thus, as frame 12 is rotated, the interrneshing teeth 84 of gear 80 and 86 of gears 52 and 54 cause gears 52 and 54 to rotate in opposite directions so that, the peripheral surfaces of discs 68 and 70 adjacent purchase 74 will be moved in the same direction to grasp the pipe cleaner elements and move them towards the right as seen in FIG. 2.

The pipe cleaner twisting mechanism 10 is used in conjunction with pipe cleaner supply equipment of known construction. Generally, this equipment includes a supply of short cotton strands or fibrils which are positioned between a pair of adjacent wire strands prior to application of the twisting force. The adjacent wire strands, with the fibrils therebetween, are typically supported by a mechanism which supplies a reacting force to oppose the twisting forces applied by mechanism 10. One such type of reaction means comprises a pair of stationary opposed feed jaws which receive and restrain the wires but permit them to pass therethrough with the fibrils retained therebetween. As the wires and the fibrils pass from these jaws they are introduced through bore 36 in shaft 26 and pass therethrough to purchase 74 between discs 68 and 70 which firmly engage the wires. As frame 12 is rotated, within shell 80, spur gears 52 and 54 are rotated, as discussed above, by

draw the pipe cleaner elements through the frame. Upon passing through purchase 74 pipe cleaner elements are directed through opening 42 in frame member 44 and thence through bore 46 in shaft 20. Rotation of frame member 12 in conjunction with the reaction force applied by the reaction mechanism serves to twist wire members 16 about each other to lock the cotton strands l8 therebetween and form the completed pipe cleaner element 50, seen in the right in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a continuous process. This completed element is thereby formed with the desirable fuzzy surface, affected by the cotton fibrils, which is necessary for effective pipe cleaning. it should be clear that the number of twists per inch of finished pipe cleaner, and thus the density of the fuzzy surface of the pipe cleaner, is determined by the number of teeth on gears 52 and 54 in relation to the diameter of grooves 72 on members 68 and 70.

In order to facilitate threading of the pipe cleaner elements 16 and 18 through the device at the beginning of the twisting operation a pair of guide tubes 90 may be mounted on each of the frame members 40 and 42 adjacent bore openings 38 and 42 respectively which tubes extend, as see in FIG. 1, to positions adjacent purchase 74 so that exact alignment of the pipe cleaner elements as they pass through the frame is assured.

it is thus seen that a compact and relatively simple pipe cleaner twisting mechanism is provided which requires relatively little factory space or supervision and which produces completed pipe cleaner strands in a continuous and efficient operation. A single operator may supervise three of four such devices in lieu of a single twisting mechanism of the prior art.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be efiected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pipe cleaner twisting device comprising, a stationary cylindrical worm gear having an inner spiral thread configuration, a rotatably mounted frame extending through said worm gear substantially along the longitudinal axis thereof, said frame having an inlet and an outlet opening in the longitudinally opposed sides thereof, a pair of spur gears rotatably mounted in said frame in offset parallel relation on axes extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said spur gears oppositely engaging the inner thread configuration of said wonn gear, generally circular gripping members operatively connected to said spur gears for rotation therewith and being positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other, the peripheral walls of said gripping members forming a purchase therebetween which engages a pair of wires having fibrils therebetween, and means for rotating said frame with respect to said stationary worm gear whereby said spur gears and said gripping members are rotated and said wires are drawn through said inlet opening by said gripping members and are discharged through said outlet opening twisted about each other with said fibrils locked therebetween.

2. A device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the peripheral walls of said gripping members are each formed with an annular groove therein.

3. A device as defined in Claim 2, wherein said peripheral walls are knurled.

4. A device as defined in Claim 3 wherein said frame includes an inlet end and an outlet end, and hollow tube means mounted adjacent each of said ends extending to positions adjacent said purchase, said tubes defining conduits for said wires and fibrils to guide said wires and fibrils to and from said purchase respectively.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 including a pair of hollow shaft members respectively connected at opposite ends of said frame in axial alignment with said inlet and outlet openings, said shaft members each having a first shaft portion adjacent said frame and a second shaft portion of smaller diameter than said first shaft gortion located outwardly of said frame, said first and secon shaft portions defining an annular shoulder therebetween, and bearings mounted on said first shaft portions, including a thrust bearing adjacent each of said shoulders for rotatably mounting said frame and for preventing longitudinal movement thereof with respect to said cylindrical worm gear. 

1. A pipe cleaner twisting device comprising, a stationary cylindrical worm gear having an inner spiral thread configuration, a rotatably mounted frame extending through said worm gear substantially along the longitudinal axis thereof, said frame having an inlet and an outlet opening in the longitudinally opposed sides thereof, a pair of spur gears rotatably mounted in said frame in offset parallel relation on axes extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said spur gears oppositely engaging the inner thread configuration of said worm gear, generally circular gripping members operatively connected to said spur gears for rotation therewith and being positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other, the peripheral walls of said gripping members forming a purchase therebetween which engages a pair of wires having fibrils therebetween, and means for rotating said frame with respect to said stationary worm gear whereby said spur gears and said gripping members are rotated and said wires are drawn through said inlet opening by said gripping members and are discharged through said outlet opening twisted about each other with said fibrils locked therebetween.
 2. A device as defined in Claim 1, wherein the peripheral walls of said gripping members are each formed with an annular groove therein.
 3. A device as defined in Claim 2, wherein said peripheral walls are knurled.
 4. A device as defined in Claim 3 wherein said frame includes an inlet end and an outlet end, and hollow tube means mounted adjacent each of said ends extending to positions adjacent said purchase, said tubes defining conduits for said wires and fibrils to guide said wires and fibrils to and from said purchase respectively.
 5. A device as defined in claim 1 including a pair of hollow shaft members respectively connected at opposite ends of said frame in axial alignment with said inlet and outlet openings, said shaft members each having a first shaft portion adjacent said frame and a second shaft portion of smaller diameter than said first shaft portion located outwardly of said frame, said first and second shaft portions defining an annular shoulder therebetween, and bearings mounted on said first shaft portions, including a thrust bearing adjacent each of said shoulders for rotatably mounting said frame and for preventing longitudinal movement thereof with respect to said cylindrical worm gear. 